Child psych jobs OR Did I screw myself?

[PassionForever]

I spent years trying to get into a competitive and prestigious child psych program, but ultimately, decided against it and went with a much less prestigious but much more lifestyle friendly program in the area. Now, I'm really regretting it. My wife is now pregnant, and I've convinced myself that I've screwed myself from lucrative job offers in the area. I don't know why I'm feeling this way, though. The graduates from this program get good job offers, sometimes even better than the more prestigious program, but I just feel that the child psych job market is going to get much more competitive in the future. I'd be happy with a decent job, but now I'm worried about providing for my wife and soon to be newborn child. Am I overreacting here? I guess I'm just seeking some reassurance, honestly.

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[splik]

child psychiatrists are in high demand. fewer and fewer people are going into child psychiatry so the idea that the job market is going to get more competitive anytime soon is baseless. you can also work as an adult psychiatry or a combination of both. your likelihood to get a lucrative job is probably inversely correlated with prestigiousness of residency program, if there is any association at all.

 

[hamstergang]

Am I overreacting here?

Yes. The deficit of child psychiatrists is too huge to be solved any time soon.

 

[Monocles]

Op I wish our situations were swapped.

I'm currently at a "prestigious" child psych program... Don't get me wrong, I like most things about my program but at the end of the day I wish I had picked a program where it was the norm to go home at 2 pm, no calls, less rigorous academic expectations etc. I have the "pedigree" but have decided that I have zero interest in academia so I am likely to go locums when I graduate and work part time until early retirement.

I live in the highest psychiatrist per capita city in the world and our child psych outpatient wait list is still criminally long (3-6 months unless you are able to leverage favours or connections). Op you'll do fine.

 

[Sushirolls]

Yep, overreacting.

My local area could easily absorb 2-3 full time cash only C&A, nevermind the demand for insurance taking - that's probably like 6-8 right there.
Right now most of the C&A work is being done by ARNPs, especially the fresh grads who are doing full age spectrum Psych, because of our deficiency of C&A locally.

C&A also has the ability to truly go to more tiny rural communities than Gen Psych, knowing that they can fill in any residual clinic time with C&A work; if rural is your cup of tea.

Business and market competition, I wish I had liked C&A, but ultimately loath it and if it were my only option, would quit medicine altogether. Bless you for liking it.

 

[calvnandhobbs68]

Overreacting fo sho.

Most areas in the country are crying for quality C+A psychiatrists because so few adult psychiatrists want into the field at all. As was mentioned above, some of this is slack is basically being picked up by NPs out of desperation with the ****ty prescribing patterns you might imagine from this (e.g. every kid with “anger problems” on abilify/risperdal/depakote, bizarre multiple low dose SSRI combos, etc etc).

 

[PikminOC]

Yes. The deficit of child psychiatrists is too huge to be solved any time soon.

Luckily nurses and psychologists are able to see children

 

[PikminOC]

Yep, overreacting.

My local area could easily absorb 2-3 full time cash only C&A, nevermind the demand for insurance taking - that's probably like 6-8 right there.
Right now most of the C&A work is being done by ARNPs, especially the fresh grads who are doing full age spectrum Psych, because of our deficiency of C&A locally.

C&A also has the ability to truly go to more tiny rural communities than Gen Psych, knowing that they can fill in any residual clinic time with C&A work; if rural is your cup of tea.

Business and market competition, I wish I had liked C&A, but ultimately loath it and if it were my only option, would quit medicine altogether. Bless you for liking it.

Because nurses are so much more qualified than us. After four years of med school and four years of residency, I'd still need extral fellowship for child psych

 

[PikminOC]

child psychiatrists are in high demand. fewer and fewer people are going into child psychiatry so the idea that the job market is going to get more competitive anytime soon is baseless. you can also work as an adult psychiatry or a combination of both. your likelihood to get a lucrative job is probably inversely correlated with prestigiousness of residency program, if there is any association at all.

Yes parents are annoying

 

[Monocles]

Also, wasn't there a statistic somewhere that said half the practicing psychiatrists in the country are aged 50 or above? And if psychiatrists are likely to retire earlier than our medical or surgical counterparts, the demand will likely get a lot worse.

 

[Monocles]

went with a much less prestigious but much more lifestyle friendly program in the area.

OP I am deathly curious... what exactly is a "lifestyle friendly" CAP fellowship? What are your hours, workload, etc?

 

[PassionForever]

OP I am deathly curious... what exactly is a "lifestyle friendly" CAP fellowship? What are your hours, workload, etc?

No call, no weekends, genuinely protected didactics, inpatient rotations where you're done by 2 PM, and during second year where it's all outpatient, you essentially have like one day off, either Monday or Friday. Fellows seemed very happy, so I went with it.

 

[Monocles]

No call, no weekends, genuinely protected didactics, inpatient rotations where you're done by 2 PM, and during second year where it's all outpatient, you essentially have like one day off, either Monday or Friday. Fellows seemed very happy, so I went with it.

 

[NJWxMan]

To op...most child fellows run away from child psych after they graduate. I completed CAP, and would never go back. This is the new norm. Shortage will only get worse.

 

[psychapp121]

To op...most child fellows run away from child psych after they graduate. I completed CAP, and would never go back. This is the new norm. Shortage will only get worse.

why would someone complete fellowship then not practice?

 

[PassionForever]

Luckily nurses and psychologists are able to see children

In my state, nurses and psychologists

Op I wish our situations were swapped.

I'm currently at a "prestigious" child psych program... Don't get me wrong, I like most things about my program but at the end of the day I wish I had picked a program where it was the norm to go home at 2 pm, no calls, less rigorous academic expectations etc. I have the "pedigree" but have decided that I have zero interest in academia so I am likely to go locums when I graduate and work part time until early retirement.

I live in the highest psychiatrist per capita city in the world and our child psych outpatient wait list is still criminally long (3-6 months unless you are able to leverage favours or connections). Op you'll do fine.

Yeah, I have no interest in academia, but am planning on full time work.

 

[PassionForever]

To op...most child fellows run away from child psych after they graduate. I completed CAP, and would never go back. This is the new norm. Shortage will only get worse.

Really? You're not being serious, are you?

 

[Monocles]

No call, no weekends, genuinely protected didactics, inpatient rotations where you're done by 2 PM, and during second year where it's all outpatient, you essentially have like one day off, either Monday or Friday. Fellows seemed very happy, so I went with it.

Really? You're not being serious, are you?

If I had to guess its because sometimes families and parents can be challenging to work with. Also each child psych eval usually takes 2-3x long as adult patients due to getting collateral from schools and parents.

I can see why for some people, if they like working with kids and adults equally they would just see adults and not deal with the hassle... But personally I love working with kids and can't ever imagine having grown up patients ever again haha...

 

[PikminOC]

Also, wasn't there a statistic somewhere that said half the practicing psychiatrists in the country are aged 50 or above? And if psychiatrists are likely to retire earlier than our medical or surgical counterparts, the demand will likely get a lot worse.

Psychiatrist usually retire later than other docs

 

[PikminOC]

To op...most child fellows run away from child psych after they graduate. I completed CAP, and would never go back. This is the new norm. Shortage will only get worse.

Yes liability sux. And parents sux

 

[PassionForever]

Psychiatrist usually retire later than other docs

Yeah, a lot of the child psychiatrists in my area are 65+, and I'm waiting for them to finally retire or at least cut back.

 

[Sushirolls]

Yeah, a lot of the child psychiatrists in my area are 65+, and I'm waiting for them to finally retire or at least cut back.

There are plenty of patients who seek out the younger fresh grads. There are those who seek out the older docs. There are those who just don't care and want in stat.

If you are thinking of opening your own practice, just get out there and make it happen. Even do it now while a fellow, get the ball rolling, naturally get your PD and dept chair to give their blessing.

 

[PikminOC]

There are plenty of patients who seek out the younger fresh grads. There are those who seek out the older docs. There are those who just don't care and want in stat.

If you are thinking of opening your own practice, just get out there and make it happen. Even do it now while a fellow, get the ball rolling, naturally get your PD and dept chair to give their blessing.

The nurses and other midlevels purposely obfuscate this point. And dont correct patients when they call them doctor.

 

[PikminOC]

Yeah, a lot of the child psychiatrists in my area are 65+, and I'm waiting for them to finally retire or at least cut back.

I know. These people have worked a long time. They must have massive expenses.

 

[hamstergang]

I know. These people have worked a long time. They must have massive expenses.

Or maybe they really enjoy the work. Some of us do. I know I'd hate having to treat adults all day long.

 

[PikminOC]

Or maybe they really enjoy the work. Some of us do. I know I'd hate having to treat adults all day long.

Enjoy it for that long? Not sure

 

[clausewitz2]

Enjoy it for that long? Not sure

I am always amazed by the proportion of regular posters here who are incredibly eager to stop practicing psychiatry.

 

[TexasPhysician]

I am always amazed by the proportion of regular posters here who are incredibly eager to stop practicing psychiatry.

Maybe those that are displeased are just more vocal. I’ll probably practice until I die or until someone pulls my license from my demented grip.

 

[PassionForever]

What's the best way to find jobs? Just scour job websites like practicelink, etc?

 

[Sushirolls]

Maybe those that are displeased are just more vocal. I’ll probably practice until I die or until someone pulls my license from my demented grip.

I started out with that impression. These days I have greater life satisfaction from hobbies, time with family, gardening, etc. I'm more receptive to early retirement.

 

[Sushirolls]

What's the best way to find jobs? Just scour job websites like practicelink, etc?

It'll help you learn an area. But doesn't tell you the full story of an area. If you want a specific geography, spend some time on Google figuring out all the Psychiatric flavors in the area of interest. Outpatient, jail, methadone, hopsitals, psych units, free stand psych hospitals, community mental health clinics, VA, outpatient clinics, etc
Look up wikipedia/google census data of the geography your looking at and compare it to the area you are in now to extrapolate how saturated or in demand that area is.
Place some phone calls to some of those entities and try to learn what their demand is.

Good jobs are hard to find, harder if you have certain standards, and typically word of mouth or just shear luck or both. Good luck.

 

[PikminOC]

I am always amazed by the proportion of regular posters here who are incredibly eager to stop practicing psychiatry.

Not eager to stop psychiatry. Just surprised people practice to that old of an age, anything, not just psych!